Latest News

QMI Agency

Dec 4, 2012

, Last Updated: 9:41 PM ET

Tuukka Rask is back in Beantown, fresh off a short working vacation in Europe.

The goaltender was on the ice with a handful of locked-out Boston Bruins Tuesday at a local arena, according to CSNNE.com. Rask joined Bruins mainstays Milan Lucic, Brad Marchand and Shawn Thornton, as well as some players from other NHL teams.

Rask went 6-2 with a 1.85 goals-against average and .936 save percentage in a brief stint with HC Plzen of the Czech league. During that time, he reportedly injured his groin again -- he missed 19 regular-season games and another five in the playoffs -- but it turned out to be a minor issue, good news for the Bruins if a new collective bargaining agreement is ever signed.

WING AND A PRAYER?

Detroit Red Wings owner Mike Illitch proposed Monday to build a new downtown arena for his hockey team, complete with a surrounding entertainment district, according to the Detroit Free Press.

Illitch's Olympia Development proposed a multi-purpose arena to house the Red Wings and replace Joe Louis Arena. The proposal starts the process of exploring the viability of the plan, which Detroit Economic Growth Corp. president and CEO George W. Jackson said "makes good sense.

"It's not a plan for an isolated, single-use structure," Jackson said in a statement. "Instead, it builds on the clear successes we've already had downtown integrating districts that feature entertainment, and support commercial, retail and residential development around them."

Cost of the project is estimated at $650 million, with a "significant private investment" -- probably from the Illitch family -- covering some of it.

Eriksson signed a deal with Davos that runs until the end of the year or when the NHL resumes, according to the team's website. He was expected to play Tuesday against Rapperswil but his equipment didn't arrive in time so he will instead make his Davos debut Friday against Lugano.

Thornton leads Davos in scoring with six goals and 20 assists in 25 games while Nash has 12 goals and seven assists in 17 games.

Eriksson, a 27-year-old Swede, will apparently play for Davos in the Spengler Cup Dec. 26-31. Other teams in the tournament will be Canada, Adler Mannheim, Fribourg-Gotteron, HC Vitkovice Steel and Salavat Yulaev Ufa.

ROY GETTING CLOSE

Rehabbing Dallas Stars forward Derek Roy is expected to skate with the Texas Stars of the AHL next week, according to the Dallas Morning News.

Roy, who was acquired from the Buffalo Sabres in July, had shoulder surgery in the off-season and is almost completely healed. He was expected to be out until mid-November so he's actually be a little behind schedule.

The 29-year-old is in the final year of a contract that pays him $5.5 million per season, with a salary cap hit of $4 million. He was acquired from Buffalo for Steve Ott and Adam Pardy.

HAVLAT HEALTHY

A healthy, but not necessarily happy, Martin Havlat is back in San Jose.

The Sharks forward, who had a hamstring injury that kept him out of the lineup for all but 39 games last year, told CSNBayArea.com that he would have been ready if training camp had started on time.

"I feel great," he said. "I was ready to go in September and I am ready to go now. I'm working out like everybody else and trying to stay in shape as much as I can ... waiting for the call. I believe still that we're going to play. I believe in what we're doing and what we stand for, and I believe in Don Fehr."

Havlat spent much of his down time in the Czech Republic but, unlike a number of locked-out players, didn't sign with a European team.

BRIEFLY

The Denver Post reported that Detroit Red Wings defenceman Kyle Quincey has left the Central Hockey League's Denver Cutthroats after playing 12 games. Quincey had two goals and nine assists with the Cutthroats ... Philadelphia Flyers forward Tom Sestito has left the Sheffield Steelers of the Elite Ice Hockey League, according to the Sheffield Star. Sestito is looking for greener pastures with another European team, possibly in the Czech Republic, the report says.